


Venus in Arms

by Rroselavy



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-27
Updated: 2013-01-27
Packaged: 2017-11-27 04:55:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/658228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rroselavy/pseuds/Rroselavy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gojyo spends a pleasant evening with a Sanzo with surprising results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Venus in Arms

**Author's Note:**

  * For [despina_moon](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=despina_moon).



Gojyo paused at the doorway and peered into the smoky room. At the bar, back to him, he saw the unmistakable robes of a sanzo priest -- not his priest though, the fall of inky hair alerted him to that fact. Gojyo was relieved. He was tense and a verbal tussle with Sanzo was the last thing he needed.

The room was loud as he made his way across, side-stepping the wait staff that buzzed efficiently from table to table depositing fresh drinks and picking up empties. A cacophony of voices carried above a substantial sound system that pulsed out a generic techno beat. No one was dancing, though; the place seemed to cater to a crowd more intent on getting drunk. A few curious glances were thrown his way but no one seemed interested enough to want to strike up a conversation. Gojyo was all right with that.

As he approached the bar, the couple who had been occupying the stools next to Sharak vacated; Gojyo watched the male drop a few coins next to their empty glasses before he decided to claim one of the seats. 

He glanced at Sharak's reflection in the mirror behind the bar. By any measure, she was a handsome woman -- not cute, for sure -- but the scars on her cheeks failed to obscure her high cheekbones and took nothing away from her fine nose and full lips. The power and self-confidence she exuded only made her more attractive. And the way she'd handily put Sanzo in his place when they'd first met was the icing on the cake. Gojyo had never seen his priest bested so completely. Not even Hakkai on a good day had remotely come as close to Sharak's casual dismissal.

"Can I buy the lady a drink?" He leaned into her in what he hoped would be taken as a friendly overture. It was a calculated move, as was his next: leaning back and producing a pack of Hi-Lites. He casually tossed them on the bar along with his Zippo.

Sharak glanced up at him through the mirror and, after a couple of seconds of thought, she nodded her head. 'Knock yourself out, Cowboy."

She reached for the pack of cigarettes without asking his permission and placed one between her lips. Gojyo beat her to the lighter, flicked the top open and thumbed the striker in one fluid and casually calculated motion. The pale flame flickered briefly in the depths of her eyes before she leaned toward him and allowed him to light it for her. As she breathed in the smoke, her eyelids fluttered shut and her chin tipped upward, revealing the sensual curve of her neck. Gojyo felt a reciprocal heat in his crotch. He swallowed, his mouth a little dry as he imagined what the skin along the arch of her throat would feel like under his lips and tongue. He mentally shook himself. Sharak was no ordinary woman, she was a priest and as much as he might like to seduce her, she was way out of his league. Still, a little harmless flirting and a good wank accompanied by some impure thoughts would do him a world of good. Especially after the day they'd just had.

"What are you having?" he asked, trying to ignore the beginnings of a hard-on. It was quieter at the bar, due to some weird acoustics, and Gojyo was grateful that they could have a reasonably intimate conversation.

"You didn't come here for company." Sharak opened her eyes and pinned an appraising gaze on him. His dick twitched, reminding Gojyo it had been months since he'd properly attended to it.

"N-no," Gojyo stuttered, "I didn't. I get the feeling you didn't either." His gaze slid briefly to the two empty double old-fashions that sat in front of her.

Sharak's eyes followed his. "Been that kind of a day. And yet, here we are."

The bartender made his way over to them and cleared the glasses. 'Another for the lady, and I'll have what she's having."He pulled a couple of bills out of his pocket but before he could lay them on the bar, Sharak motioned for him to put them away.

"Your money's no good tonight."

"It must be my lucky day." Gojyo grinned easily. He felt like he was standing on familiar territory, even though he'd never been further from his home.

Sharak placed the cigarette in a nearby ashtray and turned to fully face Gojyo. His thoughts wandered to the firm breasts he knew were hidden underneath her formless robes. His cock began to throb with redoubled interest.

"If that's what you call ‘luck,' I'd hate to see you on a bad day." Sharak's initial iciness was thawing.

He laughed, easily, but not too loud. "That would be any day I'm stuck eighteen hours in the Jeep with a pissy monk and a squirmy monkey. No offense."

"None taken."

"And what about you? Is this as bad as it gets?"

"Today?" Sharak snorted and shook her head. "What do these scars say to you?"

Her eyes were hard and Gojyo felt the bitterness in her voice. For a second he was almost sorry for her, and then, in turn, for Sanzo. They both bore an incredible weight on their shoulders; one Gojyo was only just beginning to fathom.

"They tell me you've been through some rough times, like me." He pointed to the grooves on his cheek. 'I'd hate to see what happened to the other guy."

"Did yours live to tell the tale?"

Gojyo's face clouded momentarily as he traveled back years -- back to the scared boy he was when his insane mother began swinging her axe. A hand touched his arm, bringing him back to the present.

"Seems I hit a nerve." Sharak's eyes were softer, filled with more concern than Gojyo had ever seen in Sanzo's. 

It was Gojyo's turn to feel bitter.

"Ah, it's nothing," he said. The bartender placed their drinks in front of them. "Nothing that a couple of these can't cure." He swirled the brown liquid in the glass before swigging it. It was whiskey of some sort -- not very good -- but good enough to get the job done. 

Sharak's glass met the bar at the same time as Gojyo's. He grinned big. "Seems I have some catching up to do."

Sharak's eye caught the bartender's and he ambled over to top off their empty glasses.

"Gojyo, may I ask you a question?" she asked, lifting her drink.

"Sure thing," Gojyo replied. 

"Why are you here?" Sharak's eyes seemed to pierce into Gojyo's very soul. He shifted uncomfortably on the stool and looked at his glass.

"Same reason you are, I guess. Just needed to cut loose a bit."A glance in Sharak's direction told him it wasn't the answer she was looking for.

"I mean, why are you on this mission," she clarified. "I know that Hakkai and Goku are bound to Genjo Sanzo, but that isn't the case for you."

Gojyo sipped his drink before answering, even more uncomfortable. "I did it for the glory," he quipped. The joke died quickly under a withering gaze. "I don't know," he said finally. "It was better than the alternative."

"They need you, you know." There was certitude in Sharak's voice that dared Gojyo to disagree.

"Of course they do," he said with false bravado.

Sharak shook her head and a little smile played across her lips. For a second, it changed her whole demeanor. It lit up her face and she looked like the young woman she was. Then her face hardened again.

"It's likely that you won't complete the mission."

Instinctively, Gojyo reached out and cupped Sharak's chin. He felt her muscles tense and a wild look came into her eyes, but disappeared almost as soon as it registered. "Don't underestimate us."

"I'm not." Sharak removed his hand gently. Hers was ice-cold. Gojyo thought about offering her his coat, then thought the better of it. His chivalry would be lost. "You know, I've trained my entire life for this," she said. "I always believed that when the time came, I would be strong enough. I'm not so sure of that now."

"If you didn't have any doubts, you'd either be an idiot or insane." He reached for a cigarette. Sharak didn't respond to his statement and they fell into a comfortable silence. Gojyo was hyperaware of her proximity to him and how her minute movements would cause the length of her thigh to press against his. She was an enigma, but she didn't seem to mind his company.

"How much do you know about the power of the sutras?"

"Just what Cherry-chan has seen fit to let us in on."

Sharak's lips twitched into a brief smile. "'Cherry-chan?" You think he's still a virgin''

Gojyo shrugged. "Not that it matters to me, but I don't think he'd know what to do with his dick if given half a chance."

"You seem so certain of that."

"You don't travel with a guy for a couple of years and not get to know certain things." Gojyo lit the cigarette and took a drag.

"I don't think you've been paying very much attention," she said cryptically.

"All he cares about is this damned mission we're on." Gojyo replied, expelling smoke.

"It weighs him down, yes. But maybe you haven't been asking the right questions."

As if Sanzo would tolerate any questions about his sexuality.

"You gonna tell me you know more about it just from spending a couple of hours _meditating_ with him?" Gojyo emphasized the word, making it sound lascivious.

Sharak laughed. "No, his reputation precedes him."

"Reputation as a tight-ass?"

They both exploded in fresh laughter. Sharak coughed out a stream of smoke and reached for her drink, tears running down her cheeks. She wiped them away with the sleeve of her robe.

"He's a good man. You wouldn't be here otherwise," she said finally after they'd both calmed down. 

Gojyo agreed begrudgingly, then smiled as he realized the indirect compliment. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were sweet on me, Sharak Sanzo."

"I've been with worse."The offhanded remark plummeted through Gojyo's midline and took up residence behind his balls. "And he's deeply attached."

"He has a funny way of expressing his attachment," Gojyo snorted, "which usually includes a couple of bullets for emphasis."

"What would be the advantage of acknowledging it?" Sharak asked.

"You tell me."

She contemplated her glass. "There is none."

"That's pretty cold."

"Do you think it would benefit Hassan to know I worried about his well-being?"

"D'you think he doesn't wonder?" Gojyo shot back.

"He knows our vows. He took them, too!" There was a subtle change in Sharak's voice and she looked visibly shaken.

"I shouldn't have said that."

Sharak crossed her arms over her chest and she sat up, her back ramrod straight. "We don't have much longer, Gojyo," she said quietly.

"The bar's closing?" he asked hopefully.

"Longer to live," she said in a clipped tone. The light-heartedness of the moment disappeared as quickly as it had come on.

Gojyo felt a twinge in his heart; Sharak seemed smaller now, and vulnerable. "You don't know that." His words sounded hollow.

"I've almost outlived my purpose," she pressed.

"What was that? To sit here and wait until Sanzo showed up on his all-important mission?"

"Pretty much. Even so, I don't know how much longer I can protect this city. The Minus Wave grows stronger each day."

"Yeah, but you've got that sutra ..."

She gave him a sidelong glance. "And you know that using it is not without its own danger. Each time it's employed, it lets our enemies know where I am -- where it is. I may have inadvertently alerted them to your presence, too."

Gojyo hadn't thought of that. "It's not like you had much of a choice today. Sometimes you've got to pick your poison."

"That's something we've both done now, isn't it?" Sharak drained her glass and set it decisively back onto the bar. "I should get back to the temple."

Gojyo stubbed his cigarette out and finished his drink. "May I escort you home, M'lady?"

"We're going in the same direction."

"Heh. So we are."

Sharak was tough, but Gojyo had seen glimmers of vulnerability underneath that exterior. She was slightly unsteady on her feet as she slid off the barstool, the only evidence that she might have drank a little too much. The two whiskeys he had consumed had served to take the edge off, but Gojyo was nowhere near drunk. He held out an arm to steady Sharak. He expected to be spurned, but instead she gripped his arm firmly as they retraced Gojyo's steps through the club. 

They strolled back toward the temple. Gojyo was glad for the slow pace; he wasn't drunk enough to settle down to a night of mah jongg and bickering over cigarettes and beer. The evening was crisp with a hint of snow in the air. Gojyo stuffed his hands into his pockets. Sharak linked her arm through his.

Their walk took them through the main shopping district. The sidewalks were empty and all the shops were closed.

"This town used to be a good place to live. The people believed they were safe," Sharak remarked. "That seems like another life now."

"It'll be that way again." Gojyo's voice sounded more sure than he felt.

"You don't believe that."

Gojyo stopped, pulling Sharak up short. "You're wrong, there. I know what we're capable of and no pansy-ass gothic punk sanzo is going to get the best of us."

"I hadn't pegged you as an optimist."

"I'm full of surprises that way."

"That you are." Sharak's free hand traced the side of Gojyo's face as she gazed at him searchingly. She leaned forward and her lips brushed over his mouth before she pulled away and tugged at his arm.

"And so are you," Gojyo said, half to himself.

"You didn't like it?"

Sharak was suddenly skittish and Gojyo wondered just how experienced she was and how much of what she'd said earlier was bravado.

"I didn't say that. But I'm wondering what exactly that meant."

Sharak shrugged. "I didn't think you'd need a definition."

"No, but I think you could see where I might like to clarify if that was an invitation," he said carefully, "and whether I'd have to worry about a knife between my ribs if I let my guard down."

"That's not my style, Gojyo."

His hand circled her wrist. "I wasn't thinking about you."

Sharak frowned and her eyes narrowed. "Hassan is a good man. I trust him with my life, and I would defend his with mine. But, he does not control me. He doesn't own me,"she said through gritted teeth.

Gojyo realized his error almost immediately. "I'm an idiot."

She sighed audibly. "No, you're just typical of your gender."

Gojyo wanted to refute that, but he wasn't so drunk that he couldn't see things from Sharak's perspective. 

"Besides,"she added. "It's not like I'm asking you for a commitment. We both know you'll be moving on within days. You can't stay here for long."

Gojyo worked on wrapping his head around Sharak's statement and its implications. It finally dawned on him that she was just as lonely as he was. "Can we start over?"

"From which point?"

Gojyo considered that for a second. "Here," he said before he moved to kiss her.

What started of gentle and tentative on Gojyo's part quickly evolved into a desperate, passionate kiss, all teeth and tongues and heavy breathing. He tasted the tang of blood when Sharak bit his lip before they separated.

"That's a good point," she said, grinning.

They continued toward the temple, this time far more swiftly. Gojyo allowed Sharak to take the lead, enjoying the view of her hips swaying enticingly under her robes. Once inside the temple, she dismissed guards at every turn. They left their posts wordlessly, leaving Gojyo to wonder if this was a usual occurrence. 

"How do you know Sanzo's not a virgin?" he asked as they approached an elaborately carved door at the end of a long corridor. They were walking too fast for Gojyo to enjoy the prints that lined both sides on the expanses of wall between evenly spaced doors.

"You didn't follow me back to my rooms to talk about Genjo Sanzo," Sharak remarked. 

"Nah, I was just curious."

"Then ask him ... if you dare."

"I'm usually up for a challenge, but I think I'll pass on that one," Gojyo replied. Sharak was fiddling with a set of keys she'd produced from a pocket in her robes. He heard a _click_ and the door swung open. 

The room was bathed in warm light from a fire burning brightly in the fireplace. The space was dominated by a platform bed piled high with fluffy pillows and comforters.

"And what about this one?" Sharak asked as she began to disrobe. Gojyo watched as the voluminous fabric fell away, revealing the feminine body he'd suspected was hidden beneath. 

Almost immediately, Sharak pulled the black top she was wearing underneath her robes up and over her head, revealing her firm breasts. Her nipples were erect and surrounded by dark aureoles. Gojyo felt an immediate, reciprocal tightness in his groin as his cock hardened.

"You aren't a conquest," he laughed.

"Not another notch on your belt?" Sharak asked, reaching for his buckle. Gojyo cupped one breast and dipped his head, his mouth greedily seeking out the taut flesh. He ghosted his hand over her other breast, thumbing over her nipple in lazy sweeps. Sharak shuddered as she freed his dick. 

"Never,"he groaned as she slipped away from him and dropped to her knees. Then he gasped as he watched his dick disappear between her lips.

-**~**-

Several hours and a shower later Gojyo crept out of Sharak's room and returned to the guest quarters he'd been assigned to, along with Sanzo, Hakkai, and Goku. He managed to slip into his bed without disturbing anyone. Gojyo was glad of that; he didn't want to have to explain where he'd been. It was nobody's damn business. Every muscle in his body ached, though it was not from lack of a good, firm mattress. 

Sharak, as a lover, was even more extraordinary; Gojyo wondered where she'd picked up the talents she'd displayed, then answered that question immediately. Probably the same way he had. And, while he harbored no illusions about a future with Sharak -- she'd been clear as ice that there was no 'them"-- it didn't make him as sad as he thought it would. Gojyo understood all too well the perils of becoming too attached to someone. Still, he thought, as he curled on his side and drifted off to sleep, the evening he'd spent with her was time he'd never forget.


End file.
